1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vending machines and, more particularly, to non-electric vending machine utilizing liquified and pressurized gas to power the machine and refrigerate the vended items.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today's world of convenience and around the clock access, vending machines have become a vital resource to consumers. As such, the demand arose for vending machines to carry a wide variety of food, beverage and other temperature sensitive items. As a result refrigerated vending machines, such as those disclosed and referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,764, were developed.
Although each of these prior art refrigerated vending machines may include somewhat different features which distinguish them from one another, they are all based on the same underlying refrigeration concept. That is, they all refrigerate the entire internal portion of the machine or the internal compartment wherein the temperature sensitive items are stored.
Although useful for their intended purpose, the prior art refrigerated vending machines include certain inherent limitations. Specifically, to maintain a portion of the machine refrigerated at all times, the machine must include certain refrigeration components and the internal refrigerated portion must be properly sealed. Such components and sealing increase the cost of the machine. Moreover, the refrigeration components require a constant power source to maintain the refrigerated portion at the desired temperature, thereby increasing the recurring cost required to operate the machine. Additionally, in the event electrical power to the machine is lost, the refrigeration components, as well as all other electrical components including the electrically powered dispensing components, will cease operating, resulting in the loss of refrigeration and the inability to dispense chilled, or non-chilled, items.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for a vending machine having non-electric means of refrigerating select items to be dispensed. Any such device should further include non-electric means for powering the internal operating components of the machine. The present invention is particularly suited to overcome those problems which remain in the art in a manner not previously known.